Our Story
by Emma Watson Rules
Summary: A request for a bedtime story leads Draco and Ginny down memory lane.


"Grandfather!" a shrill voice called. Fifty-seven-year-old Draco Malfoy's face brightened at the sound. A moment later, he found himself weighed down by a young blond boy.

"Adelais!" Draco exclaimed to his five-year-old grandson. He leaned in and sniffed. "Just showered, I presume."

The response was an enthusiastic nod. Ruffling the boy's hair, he picked him up and carried him to the large, capacious queen-sized bed.

Soon after, they heard giggles coming from down the hallway. A four-year old girl with a head full of blonde curls appeared and jumped on the bed, panting from her run.

Draco swept her up and kissed her chubby cheeks. Ginny stood at the doorway, watching the scene fondly.

"Ruthy, Ruthy, Ruthy," Draco said, shaking his head at the bundle of energy in front of him.

"Bedtime story, Grandfather!" exclaimed Adelais.

"A story! A story!" echoed Ruth.

"Lie down first," Draco instructed. He then sat at the front of the bed and began his tale.

"Now, what would you like the story to be about?"

Adelais thought, placing a finger to the side of his face.

"A real story, not a made-up one…" Adelais paused. "About you and Grandmother."

"Okay, here it goes…"

---

i _The war between Light and Darkness had finally ended. Four long and brutal years had taken a toll on both the magic and Muggle worlds. Devastation was all around, but in spite of that, people were celebrating. Voldemort had been defeated. Harry Potter was a known name to both worlds. The Boy Who Lived became the Man Who Survived. But on the other hand, as Harry Potter was a name associated with his glory, the name Malfoy had become scorned. Draco Malfoy was now penniless, lower than dirt. _

_Once, eating table scraps was unthinkable. Now, Draco had to resort to eating what he could find from rubbish bins. His robes, which once were flawless, __now were full of holes without patches and were stained in various places. _/i

At that point, Adelais cut in.

"Grandfather, were you hungry?"

"Most of the time, but as they say, what is past is past. There's no need to dwell on it."

Adelais raised an eyebrow, not really understanding the meaning of the saying.

"Anyway, shall we continue?" Adelais nodded in response.

i _"Get lost scum!" A well-dressed wizard spat onto his face. "You're filthy!" The wizard peered closer. "Wait… Draco Malfoy?" He laughed mockingly. "What happened to that rich, snooty pansy? He has degraded that much? What a joke!" He kicked outwards, causing dust to fly onto Draco's already dusty robes. Not that it made a difference. His robes were practically caked with dust. _/i

"Poor grandfather," Ruth sniffed.

"That meanie!" Adelais said with a scowl on his face. But Draco knew he should be thankful for "that meanie." Without him, he might have never fallen for Ginny.

i_ The wizard sniffed and walked away. Draco dragged his feet in the opposite direction. Unknown to him, someone whom he'd known a long time ago had witnessed the whole scene._

"_Malfoy?" A questioning voice caught his ears. "D-Draco?" He stopped, turned, looking into a fairly well-dressed Ginny Weasley. Her warm brown eyes were exactly as he remembered them to be. _

"_What? Have you come to taunt at my pathetic state more?" Draco said bitingly. _

"_N-No," Ginny started unsurely. "I just wanted to offer you help," she continued, more confidently. _

"_I don't need your pity," Draco said in a hard tone._

"_Fine," Ginny said, her anger getting the best of her. She stalked off. Draco looked at her retreating back for a few moments, and then walked in the opposite direction. _

_He hadn't walked much before he felt a tap on his back. _

"_Come home with me. It'll be a lot better than where you're currently living."_

_Draco stood, taken aback. He had rudely insulted her, yet she still wanted to help him? _

"_Thank you, Weas-Ginny," he said softly, and his heart pounded faster when he saw the small smile she offered him. He followed her to her home, stepping into a new part of his life. _/i

---

"Draco," Ginny intervened. "They're asleep."

Draco pulled himself back from the past. He got up and tucked Adelais and Ruth in, kissing their foreheads one last time before shutting the door. He and Ginny climbed up the flight of stairs and entered their room. They settled onto the bed. There was a peaceful silence.

"What happened after that?" Ginny asked.

"I fell in love with the most beautiful red-haired witch I knew," Draco said, kissing her softly.

"Why?" Ginny whispered.

"Because you were the only one who accepted me. All the others looked down on me, but you didn't. Without you, I would never have gotten past that stage of my life." Draco replied. "We better turn in; tomorrow's our thirty-seventh anniversary."

---

i_ "Why's/i _he_ ihere?" Ron exclaimed. His ears were red._

"_Because I brought him here," Ginny replied simply. Molly Weasley eyed her daughter, then, sensing Ginny's distressed state, nodded slightly at her._

"_Hello Draco," Molly smiled motherly at him. "Ronald Weasley, you were brought up better than that!"_

"_But, Mum…" A glare from Molly silenced him. Muttering under his breath, he stomped up the stairs._

"_Would you like a cup of hot chocolate? It must be cold outside, especially in that. Sit down." She gestured at the couch._

_Ginny followed her mother into the kitchen and closed the door. _

"_I found him, Mum, after all this searching, the worrying," Ginny said. _

_Draco felt a mix of emotions. She had been looking for him? She…worried for him? He didn't want to hear anymore. He walked off._

_Ginny came back out, only to see Draco's back. Running up to him, she demanded, "What's wrong with you? I try to help you and you just leave like that?" _

"_You know," Draco said, almost absent-mindedly, "no one has ever worried for me, so why do you? _

"_Because," Ginny was at a loss for words. _

_Draco got ready to go. But Ginny stopped him._

"_I-I like you, okay?" Ginny admitted._

_Both stood out in the snow awkwardly, wondering what to say. Ginny seemed to be having an inner debate._

"_If you're going to leave, just let me do this." Ginny tip-toed and gave him a peck on the lips._

_She looked up at him, her eyes scared but defiant. _

"_Do you know what?" Draco asked. "I like you too."_

_Ginny blushed. _/i

---

Morning came, and Draco awoke with a smile. Thirty-seven long years, glorious years they were. Silently, he walked over to the cabinet, taking care not to awake the sleeping Ginny.

Under a pile of clothes was hidden an elegantly wrapped box. He took it and carried it over to Ginny. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he stared at her sleeping form. After all these years, she looked equally beautiful. Draco nudged her gently.

"Happy Anniversary, Ginny," Draco said when she awoke.

"Draco," Ginny said, her voice thick with sleep. "I thought we'd agreed, no more presents." She looked more awake.

He smirked guiltily.

"This year, we didn't go Muggle London, so I'd thought I'd bring London to you." He handed her the present.

Ginny unwrapped the gift, her eyes widening. It was a snow globe with the Muggle London view in it. The people inside were walking, like in the real place. She turned it upside down and snow fell lightly onto the ground in the globe. The snow globe turned slightly cold, from the snow.

"Oh Draco," Ginny sighed.

---

i _It was a snowy night, Draco and Ginny were getting ready to sleep. _

_"Where is your dream place to go?" Draco asked into the darkness._

_"Muggle London," Ginny replied instantly. _

_Draco smiled, forever remembering that line. _/i

---

The grounds of Malfoy Manor were filled with people. Draco looked around. Life was certainly unexpected. People like the Zabinis and the Parkinsons now could be seen with the Weasleys and the Potters. Though sometimes, prejudice could still be seen, most of it had pretty much disappeared. A smile came to his face as he saw Ginny approaching him.

"It's time, Draco," Ginny led him up to the podium.

"Good afternoon everyone," Draco greeted. "Please be seated."

When the guests had done so, Draco started.

"The past thirty-seven years of my life have been the most magical and wonderful years. And I am ecstatic to have had this charming lady to share them with me." Ginny, who was standing beside him, turned pink and looked away shyly.

"If you had asked me where I would have imagined myself before, I would have replied, 'Eating scraps and living on the streets,' but because of Ginny, I have to do neither.

"What I want to say today is that life is indeed something to be treasured. The downs should be received as warmly as the ups. Many of us don't realise, that after the downs, the ups come.

"The war was a dark period, with many deaths of loved ones, and a time in which many people lost hope. But look at all of us today. Aren't we alive, happy and filled with hope as before?

"The large gap between us Pureblood and Muggleborn, which was once present, has dissolved almost completely. I, too, had the Pureblood prejudice, but now, everything has changed, hasn't it?

"Treasure life, never give up. And that's all I have to say. Thank you." The guests clapped, but all Draco had eyes for was Ginny…


End file.
